TWENTY-three elderly care home residents will need to find new homes after the council confirmed it would be closing down a care home.

Fairways Care Home in Owls Road, Boscombe, is operated by Tricuro for BCP Council.

As reported in May, the home needed ‘significant investment’ to keep it open, and the council was consulting residents and their families over a potential closure.

However, residents were this week sent a letter confirming the home would close.

Phil Hornsby, director of commissioning at BCP Council, said: “After consulting with residents of Fairways and their families, as well as considering the cost of the necessary refurbishments, we have taken the difficult decision to permanently close Fairways Residential Care Home.

“This will be disappointing for some residents and their family members, and we will be working closely with them to ensure that their new home meets their individual needs. All moves will be fully supported by our Adult Social Care team.

“We continue to work closely with Tricuro and I would like to thank everyone involved in this process, especially the residents of Fairways and their families, who have been extremely understanding while awaiting the outcome of the decision.”

David Banks’ former neighbour of 40 years lives at the home, with David saying he is ‘totally disgusted’ by the decision.

“Now these people are going to be moved pillar to post and most of them were in their nineties,” he said.

“I think it's appalling. I think the way this council and other councils treat people when they get elderly is absolutely abysmal.”

David said he believes the decision was made ‘some time ago’ and that home will now be developed into flats because of its location and proximity to Boscombe Gardens and the beach.

He added that the care home is the residents’ community, and he feels sorry for the ‘caring and fantastic’ staff, who have now been told they will need to reapply for jobs elsewhere.

“People are very upset in the care home,” David said.

“They don't know what's going to happen to them. Are they going to go to a place that is of equitable value and care? We hope so.”